Sugar Rae’s Ice Cream in Forest Glen opening April 5, as permit issues resolved

by BRIAN NADIG

After nearly a yearlong delay, the Sugar Rae’s Ice Cream shop at 5281 N. Elston Ave. in Forest Glen is opening for business at noon Saturday, April 5.

“We were trying to open last May,” said Will Thomas, who owns the shop along with his wife Danielle. It’s named after their daughter Rae, who loves ice cream and encouraged her parents to open their own shop.

The delay was due to permit issues. The previous occupant of the storefront was a dog grooming business, and the transition from that to an eating establishment required extra work, including upgrades to the heating-air conditioning and electrical systems, according to Will Thomas.

As first-time business owners, Thomas said, they needed help navigating through permitting, and project architect Marco Gutierrez, E. Stone Inc. electrical company and Illinois Plumbing Works made that possible. “They did an amazing job and helped us through this whole process.”

Thomas thanked the community for its patience along with its eagerness for an ice cream shop in their neighborhood. Mr. V’s Pizza, 5285 N. Elston Ave., which is located in the same plaza, had lots of inquires about when the shop would be opening, Thomas said.

At first the store will be offering only scoops of ice cream — around two dozen flavors — in cones or cups, but plans call for the eventual addition of fountain creations, such as shakes and sundaes, Thomas said.

“We will have a suggestion box,” he said, adding that the community’s recommendations will play a role in the menu as it expands.

The shop’s planned hours will be noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. It will be closed on Mondays.

The hours may be tweaked after the opening, and the shop may be closed December through February, but a final decision has not been made, according to Danielle Thomas.

Opening day on April 5 will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Alderman Samantha Nugent (39th).

The shop is around the corner from the busy Forest Glen Playlot Park, 5069 W. Berwyn Ave., a fact that the Thomas family expects will be good for business.

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